Know Your Supply Chain: Flutter by Jill Golden Jewelry

Exciting news! Indego Africa's latest collaboration was featured in the August issue of InStyle magazine. The ISARO collection by Flutter includes necklaces and bracelets designed by Jill Golden and skillfully hand beaded by Ejo Hazaza cooperative.  

See what went in to the making of ISARO...

All the artisans Indego Africa works with are paid a fair trade wage, with 50% paid up front. 

Jill Golden provided the artisans with the design.

The artisans then transform what is on paper...

Into reality!

Indego Africa partners also receive wraparound health services, such as vision testing. Read more about Indego Africa and VisionSpring's initiative to provide glasses for Ejo Hazaza.

The vivid colours and bold hues of an ISARO bracelet.

With some finishings in New York: the completed ISARO collection.

The entire collection is available for purchase at FlutterNYC.com.

Two Artisan Partners Graduate from 10,000 Women Initiative

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women cohort 8 group graduation photo with (seated, left to right) the Minister of East Africa Community, H.E. First Lady of Rwanda, Rector of SFB, and 10,000 Women program manager Sharolyn Arnett.

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women is a five-year initiative to provide business and management to 10,000 women entrepreneurs around the world. Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Entrepreneur Certificate Program in Rwanda is organized by the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan, in cooperation with the School of Finance & Banking in Rwanda. Indego Africa and 10,000 Women are working together to connect Indego Africa’s cooperative partner leaders with more advanced business education opportunities. 

On July 27th, at the Serena Hotel in Kigali, 10,000 Women held its graduation ceremony for 32 women entrepreneurs from Rwanda’s eighth 10,000 Women cohort. Indego Africa staff and interns, and former 10,000 Women scholars Emelienne Nyiramana and Therese Iribagiza, watched proudly as two more of Indego Africa’s artisan partners, Immaculee Ilibagiza and Josiane Niyitegaka, received their certificates. Both Josiane and Immaculee are members of the Ingenzi Knit Union (IKU), a cooperative union comprised of four knitting cooperatives located in Kigali and Mayange. Josiane and Immaculee are the third and fourth of Indego Africa’s artisan partners to graduate from the 10,000 Women Program. 

In addition, Immaculee is due special recognition. At the end of the program, participants present their business plans with awards given to the five women with the best business plans. Immaculee’s business plan, tailored specifically for IKU, was selected among the top five, the first time that one of Indego Africa’s artisan partners has received such recognition.

Josiane and Immaculee present their well-deserved certificates.

First Lady of Rwanda, Jeannette Kagame, was the guest of honor at the graduation ceremony. She closed the ceremony with a speech on the importance of promoting female entrepreneurship in Rwanda.

Jeannette Kagame and Emilienne Nyiramana meet over a table of Cocoki products.

Support entrepreneurs like Josiane and Immaculee: Indegoafrica.org/donate

Know Your Supply Chain: Cow Horn Accessories

Ever wondered where your Indego Africa cow horn jewelry comes from? Meet the men of Umurimo, a cooperative located in Kicukiru, Rwanda. Formed in 2009, the majority Umurimo members are former street children. Umurimo sources byproduct cow horn from a local abattoir. This byproduct cow horn would have otherwise been discarded, making these accessories both eco- and fashion-friendly!

The men of Umurimo.

Discussing a purchase order from Indego Africa.

Work kicks.

Templates used for making bangles.

 Drilling horn for bangles.

Checking Indego's production order.

Polishing horn.

Polished horn, ready to be made into a necklace!

Finished Products

Cow Horn Wrapped Bangles. Various colors available for purchase soon! 

Cow Horn and Braided Textile Necklace. Available for purchase online.

Umurimo Cuff. Coming soon!

Beaded Cow Horn Necklace. Coming soon!

Have you purchased a cow horn product from Indego Africa? If you like knowing where your cow horn accessories come from, tell us!

Shop Indego Africa's Entire Collection >>

Indego Africa Country Director Keith Casey Cobell Attends 2012 Dialogue for Action Africa in Gabon

The 2012 Dialogue for Action Africa (DFAA) forum in Libreville, Gabon, was hosted by the Cecilia Attias Foundation for Women in association with Mrs. Sylvia Bongo Ondimba, First Lady of Gabon. It brought together a well-rounded community of women and men from the African continent and around the world in the fields of business, health, education, non-profit, government, media, and security to collaborate and make a Plan for Action for Africa. 

At the 2012 DFAA, Indego Africa was truly honored to share with attendees our experiences in empowering women and woman-owned businesses in Africa through social enterprise. 

The 2012 DFAA brought together hundreds of influential leaders from across the continent and even eight African first ladies, including the First Lady of Rwanda Jeannette Kagame. The 2012 DFAA served as a dynamic platform upon which to create sustainable solutions, a Plan for Action for Africa, to be presented at the 2012 G20 Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico. 

As part of the “Action for Women’s Access to Business and Entrepreneurship” panel, Indego Africa’s Rwanda Country Director Keith Casey Cobell presented Indego Africa’s economic development model that combines market access linkages with business-centric education. Cobell also stressed the central importance of marrying education with market access – or other income-generation – to more fully empower women across Africa. During his talk, Cobell introduced to great fanfare Emelienne Nyiramana of Indego Africa partner cooperative, Cocoki, and Grace Tsuni, Indego Africa’s newest staff member, each of whom were on hand in in Libreville.

Watch the "Action for Women's Access to 
Business and Entrepreneurship" panel:

Video courtesy of Cecilia Attias Foundation for Women.

Indego Africa deeply valued the opportunity to participate in the 2012 DFAA and to help brainstorm with other continental thought leaders on how to address the most pressing needs facing women in Africa. Dialogue such as what took place at the 2012 DFAA can play a critical role in ensuring that one of Africa’s greatest resources – it’s women – have the tools and access they need to better their lives, their families’ lives, and to accelerate Africa’s development.